The Clown & The Concrete
by redcloudedleopard
Summary: A little boy is in pursuit of his beloved red balloon in a park. This is another piece of the Fantastic Four: Improved & Allied puzzle, though it's a little detached from the other stories for now. You'll see how it relates to the general story arc soon.


So began the playtime session, & the little boy begged his mother that it would go uninterrupted. He was not tugging too violently at her favourite dress so she didn't mind it a bit. He wore a striking red T-shirt, along with a pair of cute beige shorts & red & white sneakers.

"Thanks, Mom!" the youngster grinned.

"Go knock yourself out, sweetie," his mother returned the smile. After she could pull him close to hug him long enough, her kid dashed off to amuse (hopefully) a couple of his morning hours. His friend Wyatt Wingfoot was holding his 8th birthday bash & had invited many a playmate, even a few from down the street, to join in.

The woman had a charming prospect of Central Park from where she now stood, so she sat herself on a comfy bench. She then felt a hand feel her shoulder tenderly.

"You must own you're quite a beauty today," an equally tender voice with a nice cheeky edge said. It was her husband, whom she called Frank, who then wrapped an arm around her.

"Thank you," she told him, wondering why she was still so shy around him in spite of the years they'd spent together. It could only be the efficacy of his being a ladies' man. The two relaxingly eyed the clear pond water before them.

"Where's the Tyke gone to?" Frank asked.

"He's gone to join in Wyatt's celebration, of course!" she said out loud, as if he had been some sort of blurcase.

"Oh, right, honey. Must've been my mind being filled with surgical procedures…again," he responded most jokingly.

"Hey, Mum! Hey, Dad!" a little lady of about twelve went up to them.

"Hi, Sue dear," was her mom's lovely greeting.

"Young lady, what took you so long?" her father smiled.

"I cleaned out my little brother's room," the girl replied, "he was too lazy so I helped him. Anyway, he told me he had too little sleep last night."

The little boy was headed for the long wooden table placed at the other side of the pond, where a line of chairs filled with happy children & balloons could be sighted. Each balloon boasted a wonderful lemon yellow, lime green, or sky blue that made up the colourful array.

A sound much like a cracked twig got his attention; it was louder than the muffled voices of children playing. There was no sign of movement around him, though. So he walked on with a gaze in the direction of the balloons in the distance. He especially bore an affinity for the red balloons.

A girl's laughter interrupted him suddenly. It was evidently meant for him to hear, some part of him sensed. Yet no other silly kid was seen hopping about the area. Only a few grownups were taking their morning strolls. Already growing rather irritated, he did a 360° to look for any culprit. That laugh seemed _too_ nearby for him to feel comfy. To let out the bubbling frustration the boy grumbled under his breath, his eyebrows knit together. Now he walked much more briskly to his destination. He had to get one of those nice red balloons…

Right before he got to the table, the sun was abruptly blocked out – standing high above him was a very very tall man clad in nothing but rainbow-coloured polka dots! The boy hadn't recalled seeing a clown up this close before; he had for a fact, only he had been too young to remember. Now he was a little scared looking up at the man's white mug & curly, unkempt red hair.

"Why, hello there, kid!" boomed the clown laughingly.

The youngster didn't want to reply.

"Are you Mr. Wyatt's friend?"

"Y…yes…," replied the kid. A red balloon tied to the seat nearest to him diverted his attention.

"Then that makes you a friend of Mr. Humpty TOO!" the clown pointed to himself, "we're going to have tons of FUN together!"

"I, uh…I…"

Mr. Humpty looked puzzled, "Why don't you have a seat, Mr…"

"I don't think…"

"Mr. I-Don't-Think?" the clown lifted one eyebrow. He scratched his head whilst staring into space deliberately. The rest of the seated kids behind him were guffawing away at what they heard.

Mr. Humpty's eyes lit up & he raised a confident finger at the same time, "Maybe Mr. I-Don't-Think - is half asleep!"

He was right. The kid just wanted his balloon before he would pay attention to anything else.

"Shall I give him a special wake-up call?" asked Mr. Humpty. One kid gave a spontaneous shout-out, "YEAHHHH!!!"

He took out a little custom-made trumpet made out of a plastic tube & a cardboard cone. Each other kid at the long table watched in anticipation. Even now, the boy was staring in a strange direction.

Then a piercing noise startled him, making him scream. The next thing he knew, he had been turned into some form of laughing stock. He was on the ground now, after a little pratfall resulting from Mr. Humpty's scary trumpet. A large part of him felt confused.

"Feeling better?" said the clown who was participating in the chuckling chorus as well.

"You all don't want me here? Fine! I got a better place to go play!" the boy decided to try defending his dignity. Before they knew it, he was off, disappearing behind some shrubbery.

He ran past two couples having their walk, crossing a small bridge, & then venturing into an open area where the sun beat down to colour the grass a golden green hue. He found a smooth pavement to walk along, & had a whim to search his surroundings to hopefully find yet more balloons. Kids nearly always had the propensity to bring some around with them as a companion for their family outings.

_Ahah!_ A red balloon, tied to a low tree branch, just as promised. He was not ten feet away from it; it was probably just abandoned by whoever had it earlier. His gaze was completely locked onto his little 'prize', when he fell on his behind the second time. The concrete was really, really hard.

"Whoa!" he panicked as he lost his footing.

All of a sudden that same girl's chortles filled the air again. He grew very alert after a few moments' recollection, & picked himself up. His left foot had slipped on a toy car, & the other foot on a skateboard. _Why hadn't he seen those toys strewn on the pavement?_ Oh, right. The balloon. Maybe it brought him bad luck, but he persisted in getting it. Forgetting the apparent prank pulled on him, he happily untied the balloon's string from the tree & smiled triumphantly.

"At least you got your balloon," someone chirpy told him from behind that large tree trunk. A girl with a face that looked so happy it was glowing appeared from her hiding place.

The boy got defensive, "Hey, it's mine! Don't come here &…"

Another girl followed behind the first, saying, "She didn't say she was gonna take it, silly." Both girls chuckled lightly.

"You can have your stupid balloon!" laughed the first girl. Her eyes matched the sunlight's colour.

"I know. Quit bothering me!" retorted the boy.

"You'd be _so_ mad if we told you we've been following you…," the second girl whispered. She deliberately wanted him to know, obviously.

"You WHAT? Why'd you do that?" the boy was losing patience.

"Well, I..uh…I don't know. Ask her, not me!" the same girl said. Her companion sat herself down on the grass, pretending to be oblivious.

The boy's cold stare shifted to the first girl. Still on the ground after his little fall, he spoke, "You made me trip, didn't you?"

"Maybe," the girl looked in another direction. Then she couldn't help but laugh. He seemed to notice, _was she blushing at the sight of him?_

"Come on, tell me! Please?" the boy was beginning to plead. It was strange to the girls how he was unexpectedly smiling, but kept frowning at them.

"Then answer my question first! So, friends?"

"Huh?"

"Can we be friends?" she held out a hand. Part of her definitely looked shy.

"Fine." He stretched his own hand out too.

He was about to shake her hand when somebody grabbed him by the shoulder & spun him round. It was another girl, taller than the other three kids.

"Come on! Mom & Dad said you went too far away. The birthday party's that way, silly!" she told her brother while pointing back at where she'd come from.

A mighty voice called the first girl's name from a distance. Soon another grownup could be heard shouting the second girl's name too.

"It's time to go, cousin!" said the second girl. The first girl nodded, before smiling rather sweetly to the boy.

"Fine, if we meet here again, I'll tell you the truth," she cheekily muttered to him, "See ya!"

"Bye…," was the boy's dull answer.

The two girls ran off, disappearing in a flash.

"Let's go back," said the boy's sister.

"Did you see _that_?!" her brother brought up a new subject.

"See what, little brother?"

"She didn't wanna answer me. I fell! She used that skateboard & car to make me trip!"

"I didn't. Sorry. Maybe you gotta forget what happened."

"But she…"

"Ugh, do you – _like_ her or something?"

"NO."

A little paused ensued.

"Well, but do you think she likes _you_?"

"Maybe."


End file.
